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AFEC’s 41s t Annual Conference
(Re)constructing Memory in Canada
June 12-15, 2013, Rennes, France
The 41st Annual Conference of the French Association for Canadian Studies (AFEC)
is organized by the Center for Canadian Studies at Rennes 2 University (CEC)
in collaboration with the Center for Canadian Studies at Angers University (CERPECA)
the Center for Historical Research in Western France (CERHIO- UMR CNRS 6258)
and the Institute of Canadian Studies at Ottawa University
Call for papers
From the 1970’s, when memory emerged as a social and culturalphenomenon to its present-day topicality, how do issues of memory as wellas the political and social uses of the past fit into contemporary Canadiansociety ? We propose to look back at the various agents, time-scales, andterritories at stake in the study of memory in Canadian society.
Three major topics for discussion run through the studies devoted tocultural memory. The first, related to Pierre Nora, at least from a French andhistorical standpoint, focuses on “sites of memory” and stresses the politicaluses of the past, together with the material and immaterial aspects ofcollective representations, with an emphasis on national perspectives. Theapproach to the second topic is sociological and refers to MauriceHalbwachs’s work on the social conditions that make personal or grouprecollections and narratives of the past possible, through individuals orintermediary groups. The third and last topic stems from the increasingnumber of memory claims, and from the emergence of such a notion as theduty of remembrance, regarding mostly the victims of discrimination,
oppression or repression; while resorting to psychoanalysis for insight, thesestudies explore the normative and legal, or the normative and political,means used by a given community to handle, get over or smooth out pastconflicts. To this debate is clearly associated the name of Paul Ricoeur,particularly for his analyses of forgiveness, amnesty, or forgetting.Needless to say, these three topics for discussion are not mutually exclusive;they overlap in numerous studies and, most of all, testify to the wide rangeof disciplines that may be called into play to tackle them, such as literature,sociology, law, political science, geography, cultural studies and of course,history. Without claiming to be exhaustive, the list of topics delineated aboveaims to show how rich their cross-disciplinary interrelation is.
Memory of Places or “Sites of memory”We would like to explore how Canadian cultural memory is related to spaceand territory, within or without Canada, through commemorative sites,monuments, museums, festivals or historic and traditional events, culturalor heritage tourism, and possibly place names or the mental representationsof a given territory.
Memory and IdentityHere, we are interested in exploring identity claims expressed by a group ora community that have harnessed cultural memory to empower their ownself-affirmation; this exploration may be carried out through a variety ofperspectives related to the community under scrutiny, among whichreligious, national, linguistic, provincial, political, or gendered aspects.Reflections on competing memories or even warring memories would also fitin with this approach.
Memory and Specific EventsHere the focus will be on past events in Canadian history, which have left amemory, be it unanimous, consensual, or divided, as is the case withterritorial conquest, rebellions, wars, social or political crises, periods ofmajor political transition (e.g. Quebec’s Quiet Revolution), environmentalcatastrophes, epidemics, momentous legislative developments, technologicalbreakthroughs, etc.
Active Players in Memory ConstructionThe topic for discussion may also be approached via the individuals whoproduce cultural memory through a vast array of activities: large-scale data-collections or surveys of an ethnological or social nature; teaching activities,including work on educational curricula and textbooks; historical research;the working of the State and memorial laws; the media with television or theInternet; cultural production related to cinema, drama, etc.; the relationshipbetween memory and fiction in literature; justice, and the growingjudicialisation of the past, complete with the dialectics of fault andcompensation or the presence of historians in the courts.
We require a single page abstract and a brief bio by no later than September 15th, 2012.Abstracts, papers, and questions should be directed to: a f e c @ m s h a . f r [email protected]
Conference’s scientific committee
Marc Bergère, Associate Professor of Contemporary History at Rennes 2University, Member of the CERHIO UMR 6258, Treasurer of the CEC at Rennes2 UniversityYves Frenette, Professor, History Department, Ottawa University, Director ofthe Institute of Canadian Studies at Ottawa UniversityDonald Fyson, Professor, History Department, Laval University, Co-director ofthe Interuniversity Center for Quebec Studies at Laval UniversityHélène Harter, Professor of Contemporary History at Rennes 2 University,President of the AFECCatherine Hinault, English teacher (PRAG) at Rennes 2 University, Secretaryof the CEC at Rennes 2 UniversityFrançoise Le Jeune, Professor of British and North-American History andCivilization at Nantes University, Vice-president of Nantes UniversityJacques-Guy Petit, Emeritus Professor of Contemporary History at AngersUniversityEric Pierre, Associate Professor of Contemporary History at AngersUniversity, Member of the CERHIO UMR 6258, Head of the CERPECAChristian Pihet, Professor of Geography, Vice-president of the scientificboard at Angers UniversityPhilippe Resnick, Professor, Department of Political Science, University ofBritish ColumbiaJean-François Tanguy, Honorary Associate Professor of ContemporaryHistory at Rennes 2 University, Member of the CERHIO UMR 6258, Director ofthe CEC at Rennes 2 University
Conference’s organizing committee:
Annick Monnerie, Secretary of the AFEC ([email protected])Nathalie Blanchard, Administrative manager of the CERHIO([email protected])Marc Bergère, Associate Professor of Contemporary History at Rennes 2University, Member of the CERHIO UMR 6258, Treasurer of the CEC([email protected])Hélène Harter, Professor of Contemporary History at Rennes 2 University,President of the AFEC ([email protected])Catherine Hinault, English teacher (PRAG) at Rennes 2 University, Secretaryof the CEC ([email protected])Eric Pierre Associate Professor of Contemporary History at Angers University,Member of the CERHIO UMR 6258, Director of the CERPECA([email protected])Jean-François Tanguy, Honorary Associate Professor of ContemporaryHistory at Rennes 2 University, Member of the CERHIO UMR 6258, Director ofthe CEC ([email protected])
